Extensible metallic structure



Nov. 28, 1950 RLK. WELLMAN EXTENSIBLE METALLIC STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed March 3, 1948 Nov. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1948Patented Nov. 28, 1950 EXTENSIBLE METALLIC STRUCTURE Rudyard K. Wellman,St. Clair Shores, Mich.,

assignor to Wellward Tool Company, Inc., Detroit, Mich, a corporation ofMichigan Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,703

4 Claims.

The invention relates to extensible articulated metallic structures,particularly designed for use as an awning, roofing or shutter assembly,and which may also be employed to advantage as a garage door, airconditioning outlet or as a heat regulating closure for automobileradiators, and has for its objects to provide certain new and usefulimprovements in metallic structures of this character.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a structure or deviceof the character described which is of light weight and capable ofconvenient manipulation and wherein provision is made for extending orcollapsing the articu lated elements of the structure with a minimum offriction.

A further object of the invention is to provide integral means on theindividual slat elements of the awningor closure, for reenforcing thesame against undue distortion and relative twisting or turning movement,while permitting the essential parts to be constructed of thin or lightgauge pressed or rolled sheet metal, such awning in extended or loweredposition, taken substantially on line ll of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the awning in collapsed, stacked ortelescoped elevated position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the extended awning as viewed from theleft in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view through one of the awning slats adjacent anend thereof.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, illustratingtwo of the connected louver slats in extended position.

Referring to the drawings the awning structure comprises a plurality ofsubstantially identically formed die pressed or rolled metallic louverslats in, of thin gauge and weight, each slat having an integraldepending .forward wall II and a depending rear wall l2. The forwardwall H terminates in an integral rearwardly extending flange portion I3defining an open chan...

' nel structure at the front portion of each slat.

The dependin rear wall 12 is sharply bent upon itself as at M and thenceextended reversely as a vertical or upstanding flange I5 terminatinginan integral forwardly projecting angular flange portion It. By virtue ofsuch construction, the lower rear wall portion of each slat I0 iscomposed of a reenforced double wall thickness, while at its upperportion sets off an open channel above the slat proper in a mannersimilar to the forward channel disposed below such main body portion ofthe slat. Each slat II] at its opposite ends is preferably provided withan integral depending flange I1 and as a means of further reenforcement,the body portion IU of the slat is preferably provided with a pluralityof longitudinally spaced upstanding die pressed integral corrugationsl8. Adjacent its opposite ends the slat members ID are provided withtransversely aligned apertures 19 and 20 respectively disposed in thedepending forward and rear wall portions or flanges H, 12 and I5.

If desired similar transversely aligned apertures may be provided in thesaid forward and rear flange portions ll, l2 and I5 of the slats at thecentral or intermediate portion of the structure as best seen in Fig. l.Said aligned apertures are for the purpose of receiving therethrough aplurality of fixed headed guide rods 2! by means of which the forwardand rear slat walls, as well as Wall portions of the adjacent slats, areconnected together, and upon which rods the said slats are mounted forslidable movement in one direction into outward extended position (Fig.1), and in the opposite direction into inward stacked or telescopedrelation (Fig. 2). The rods are suitably enlarged or headed at theiropposite ends preferably so as to be immovably connected to the forwardand rear flange portions ll, l2 and I5 of a given slat. Each rod 2| isloosely extended through a single aperture 22 in the upstanding flangel5 of another or subjacent slat Ill, so as to connect such slats forrelative sliding movement into and out of nested or stacked relation.The arrangement is such that outward sliding movement into extendedposition of the connected or articulated slats is limited by contact ofthe forward edge of rear flange 16 of a lower or inner slat, with theinner surface of 3. depending forward flange H of an adjacent superposedconnected slat l0. At such time the rear edge of flange I 3 of thesuperposed slat is in position to contact or abut against the front faceof upstanding flange l5 of the first mentioned subjacent slat (Fig. 1).

-.or support member :28. said rod :are welded-orcotherwise secured as atWhen in thus extended position it will be noted that forward and rearflanges I! and I5 of adjacent connected slats are transversely spacedlongitudinally of the rods 2!, by means of the angularly disposedvertically spaced flange portions [3 and iii of such connected slats,and the latter mentioned flanges lie closely against the outer surfaceof the main body portion of a slat, and against the upper surfaces ofthe rod members 24 respectively. In this manner undue tendency of theslats to twist or flex transversely relative to the rods and to oneanother is .insured against. Stated otherwise, when in extended positionthe slats are maintained substantially rigid against axial turning ortwisting, by their slat and rod contacting'fiange portions l3 and I6respectively.

The rear upstanding flange portion [5 of the upper or innermost lowerslat H] is or -may be bent into a loop 23 to constitute a journal orbearing for :a support rod 24 in turn :journaledor flxedratitsnppositeends within suitable'bracket .members 25 fixed-on opposite sides of theopening-A-of the window "or door frame B adjacent the upper portion ofthe frame. The forwardde pending flange H of the lower outermost slatHiis preferably not away'as at 26 (Fig. 1) and -is.similarly .formedintoan open :loop- 2-! constitutinglabearing support for a rigid forward rodThe opposite ends of 29 to the router endsof .a'pair-of oppositely dis-.posed support rods 3%, in turn pivotally secured at their-inner ends asat 135 to suitable bracket .members3 2 aflxed onthe windowor door frameadjacent the frame opening A. Suitable ten- .sion or .0011 "springmembers :33 are or may be ,provided for yieldably maintaining the awningstructure in desired extended position against wind pressures, over theframe opening. The outer ends of .said .spring members may be 'securedto lug elements -34 respectively fixed or .=immovably-1nounted on thesupport rods3il, and

.the inner 'endsof said springs may be suitably secured as at :35 to the:window or door frame.

Operatingmeans for the awning structure is preferably .provided in theform of a flexible pull *cord .secured at its outer end as at 3! :to-one.or both of the 'pivotally-mounted support rod-s38. Said-cordis passedinthe usualmanner -.be apparent that release of the pull cord will,permitthe support rods 30 and stacked slats I!) connected thereto, toswing outwardly under .the .influenceof gravity or slight pressure, said.-slat members 'movingrelative to one another on the rod guide-elements2-! with little or no friction. .Theawning is raised or elevated intothe position shown in Fig. 2 by pulling on the cord ,tfipresultingintheslats ii sliding relative to one another on the guide .rods 2i, in theopposite :direction into stacked or telescoped position.

It is thought that the invention and many :ofqits attendant advantageswill be understood :from they foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the .form, :constructionand arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A metallic awning structure comprising a plurality of connected slatmembers each having an integral depending forward wall -.terminating ina rearwardly extending. flange spaced inwardly from the body portion ofthe slat, each of said .slat members further including an integraldepending rear wall portion merging into a reversly folded upstandingrear wall portion having spaced apertures therein and terminating in aforwardly extending flange spaced outwardly "from thebody portion of theslat, and a plurality of .spaced guide .rod members connected to andextending between said depending forward and rear slat walls, theintermediate portions of said guide rods respectively loosely extendingthrough thespaced apertures in said upstanding'rear'wall 'of anadj'acentislat to connect said-slats Torrrelative sliding .movement inroppcsite directions :respectively into extended'and-stackedzrelation;said :forwardly e-Xtendingrear wall flangezof a=saidtslat 'member whenin extended position .ienga'ging against the depending forward wall of'.a con- :nected slat member closely adjacent said arod members to spacesaid rear wall inwardly ionfthe rod members a substantial distance fromi'said connected 'forwardslat wall, to -maintain the extended slats insubstantiall -self supporting "re-- 'lation.

2. A metallic awning structure comprising a plurality ofconnectedslats-'each'having an integral depending forward aperture wallterminating in a rearwardly extending flange *spaced inwardly from thebodyportion'of theslatgeach of said slats further including an integral"depending rear wa'll'merg'ing into 'a reversely folded upstandingapertured-rear wall term'inatingin a. forwardly extending flange spacedoutwardly from the body portion of theslat, and a plurality of spacedguide rod members-connectingandextending through the aperturesin'saiddepending forward and rear slat walls, the intermediate portions of saidguide'rods respectively loosely "extending through the aperturesin'saidupstanding rear wall of another slat to connect 'said slats for relativesliding movement in opposite directions respectively into'extendedstacked relations, said forwardly and rearwardly extending terminalflanges respectively on the rear and forward walls of adjacent connectedslats'being respectively engageable with said rod members and with theouter surface respectively of such adjacent slats to limit relativeturning'and twisting movement of the slats when the latter areinextended position.

3. A metallic awning slat comprising 'a body portion having an integraldepending forward wall terminating in a rearwardly extending reenforcingflange spaced from the inner surface of said body portion, said slatfurther "including an integral depending rear wall .portionmerging intoa reversely folded upstanding'rear wallportion terminating in aforwardly projecting reenforcing flange spaced from the outer surface ofsaid body portion, and a plurality of spaced rod members connected toand extending between said dependingforward (and rear slat walls, saidupstanding'rear' wall'portion having spaced apertures therein for theslidable reception therethrough of the aforesaid spaced rod members ofan adjacentconnecte'd slat.

4. A metallic awning slat comprising a body portion having an integraldepending forward wall terminating in a rearwardly extending reenforcingflange spaced from the inner surface of said body portion, said slatfurther including an integral depending rear wall portion merging into areversely folded upstanding rear wall portion terminating in a forwardlyprojecting rcenforcing flange spaced from the outer surface of said bodyportion, a plurality of transverse integral reenforcing corrugationsspaced longitudinally of the body portion of said slat, a plurality ofspaced rod members connected to and extending between said dependingforward and rear slat walls adjacent said corrugations, and a pluralityof spaced apertures in said upstanding rear walls respectively disposedin vertical alignment with said rod members for slidably receivingtherethrough the rod members of another slat to movably connect saidslats together for relative sliding movement in opposite directionsrespectively into extended and stacked relation, said forwardl extendingrear wall flange of a said slat member when in extended positionengaging against the depending forward wall of a connected slat memberclosely adjacent said rod members to space said rear wall inwardly onthe rod members a substantial distance from said connected forward slatwall, to maintain the extended slats in substantially self supportingrelation.

RUDYARD K. WELLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 140,674 Boughton July 8, 1873162,361 Eller Apr. 20, 1875 427,287 Wood May 6, 1890 888,433 ThompsonMay 19, 1908 1,555,645 Ellis Sept. 29, 1925 1,636,200 Vetterlein July19, 1927 1,648,851 Lupin Nov. 8, 1927 1,832,966 Cook Nov. 24, 19312,078,134 Goni Apr. 20, 1937 2,263,540 Johnson Nov. 18, 1941

